Commutator or electric circuit-breaker



(No Model.)

v C'. D, BAKER.

COMMUTATOR 0R ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER. No. 375,328.- Paltented Dec. 27, 1887 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cHAIINcEY D. BAKER, E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

C-OMNl-UTATOR QR ELECTRIC ClRCUiTifBREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters vatnt-No. 375,328, dated December 27, 188'?. v

` Application filed November 24, 1886.- Serial No. 219,851. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAUNCEY D. BAKER,

residing at Chicago, in the county of Gook'and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gomniutators or Electrical Cir- I cuit-Breakers, of which the following is a full I. description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- "-lo-s` jintojconta'otl y disks afb. The other: end of each ofthese Wires,

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a top wiew, the block A being in section.

4 The object of my invention is to provide a commutator or circuit-breaker which canJ be 'usedfor increasing or decreasing resistance in an 'electrical circuit, and which can also be used as a switch to open or close one or more of a number ofcircuits, which I accomplish' by means ofa series of contact-Wires or pieces of netaloi different lengths, so arranged that one or other desired number can be'made tov come in contact-at one end with a movable metallic cont-act'piece,'as illustrated in the drawings, and hereinafter described.. I-nthe drawings, A represents a block of wood orother suitable material which sup ports the cnimutator.

' a, b are twodisks. -I

c. are rods or bars located between and se- 5 cured at their1 ends to the' disks a b. :3o

d is a p in secured totheblock A. e is a short cylinder placed centrally between and secured to the disks a b. Y

f-is a rollerpivoted between and to disks a b` so that it rotates with very little friction. .4B is a bracket or support secured 'to the block A; f .C isa bar or rod, one. end 'of which is vsecured to the bracket B, and the other' end is `curved over between the disks al).

."g represents a number of small contact-wi res secured to theloraclfret'B..v The `free ends of these wiresv are bent over-between the disks a with the roller f by rotating the their free ends, sethat they can be brought I or wires connected therewith, is to be carried to one end of a resistance-box, or to one of a number of incandescent lamps in circuit, there being in effect as many circuits as there are contact-wires. The wires from the other end of the resistance-box, or from the lamps, are to be connected with the main circuit, as usual.

D is a bindingpost, from which the wire h is carried to the bar or rod C. The remainder of the circuit is not shown, but may be completed in the usual manner.

The operation is as follows: As shown in the drawings, the disks a bare to be rotated by hand whenever desired, bringing the roller fin contact with the end of the bar C and with the free ends 'of one or. more of the-Wiresg, thereby completing the circuit from the bind- ."ingpost D to the resistance-box or to one or more of the lamps in circuit, The resistance can be varied at pleasure by changing the position of the roller f` and causing it to be in .contact with a greateror less number of contact-wires g.

Instead of completing the circuit by means of the Wire h and bar C, the wire indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 might be carried from the binding-post D to the metallic pin or stud d, in which case the circuitv would be completed through the metal frame a b and' roller` f, instead of through the bar C and roller.

, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A commutator consisting of Wires of different lengths, each adapted to be connected at one end with a resistancebox or with an electric circuit, and` a bar or rod, C, in combination with a rotating frame supported at its center on a pivot carrying a rotating contactpiece, f, adapted to be brought by thenioven ment of such frame intoc'ont'act with the free end of the wire or rod Gand with the free ends of one or more of such Wires of different lengths, substantially as and for 'the purpose specified.

GHAUNCEYCD.A BAKER'.

Witnesses: E. A, WEST, .ALBERT H. Anims. 

